This nonprovisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7119(a) on Patent Application No. 2000-314648 fil the entirety of which is herein incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an exhaust heat energy recovery system, and more particularly to an exhaust heat energy recovery system effectively utilizing exhaust heat energy from an internal combustion engine for driving energy of other equipments.
2. Description of the Background Art
Exhaust heat energy recovery system for internal combustion engine are known in the background art. In particular, one exemplary system employs a heat exchanger disposed in an exhaust pipe. A high temperature fluid is taken out of the heat exchanger and is used to operate a high temperature portion of other equipment, such as an absorption type refrigerator. An example of this type of system is described in Japanese Patent Laid-open Patent Publication (KOKAI) No. 4-335960 (1992).
However, when a heat exchanger is disposed in the exhaust pipe as mentioned above, the heat exchanger contributes to exhaust resistance. This increased exhaust resistance produces deleterious effects on engine output performance, and will likely increase fuel consumption.
On the other hand, in two-wheel and four-wheel vehicles of recent years, a catalytic converter for clarification of exhaust gas is provided in the exhaust system of an engine. The heat of the clarification reaction heats the region and components around and including the catalytic converter to an extremely high temperature. Therefore, various protection methods for avoiding heat damages have been adopted.
If the high heat in this region can be utilized more effectively, it will be possible to lower the ambient temperature of the catalytic converter and to simplify and reduce the required heat damage protection measures.
The present invention overcomes the shortcomings associated with the background art and achieves other advantages not realized by the background art.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an exhaust heat energy recovery system for an internal combustion engine by which it is possible to utilize the high heat energy present in the vicinity of an exhaust gas clarification catalytic converter intermediately disposed in an exhaust system of an engine as an energy source for other equipment.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an exhaust gas system that accomplishes the aforementioned objects without causing an increase in exhaust resistance.
These and other objects are accomplished by an exhaust heat energy recovery system for an internal combustion engine, the system comprising an exhaust system for the internal combustion engine having an exhaust gas clarification catalytic converter; a resonance pipe being disposed adjacently to the exhaust gas clarification catalytic converter, the catalytic converter intermediately being disposed between the exhaust system and the resonance pipe; a sound wave generating portion being provided at a first end portion of the resonance pipe, the sound wave generating portion including a stack device; and a transducer being provided at an other end of the resonance pipe, the transducer converting a sound wave generated by the stack device due to reception of heat from the catalytic converter into electrical energy.
These and other objects are further accomplished by an exhaust heat energy recovery system for an internal combustion engine, the system comprising an exhaust system for the internal combustion engine having an exhaust gas clarification catalytic converter; a resonance pipe being disposed adjacently to the exhaust gas clarification catalytic converter, the catalytic converter intermediately being disposed between the exhaust system and the resonance pipe; sound wave generating means being provided at a first end portion of the resonance pipe, the sound wave generating portion including a stack device; and a refrigeration portion cooled by a sound wave generated by the stack device due to reception of heat from the catalytic converter, the refrigeration portion being provided at an other end portion of the resonance pipe.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.